Bathtubs of many shapes and sizes have long been known. When bathing babies and children, safety considerations are particularly important, especially the temperature of the bath water. If the bath water is too hot, the child will be burnt, while if the water is too cold, the child runs the risk of catching cold. In any event, trauma to the baby due to incorrect temperature is undesirable. Similarly, the elderly and other adults must take care with regard to the water temperature in the bath.
In the past, the temperature of the water has generally been measured before putting the child into the bathtub. The most common method is that of inserting an elbow into the water, or dripping the water on a wrist, in order to determine whether it is too hot or cold. In addition, a number of thermometers have been designed for measuring the temperature of the bath water. These generally include a separate, floating thermometer which is placed in the tub and which must be removed to read the temperature. When monitoring the temperature of the water before and during bathing, the thermometer is read, then returned to the water, removed a few minutes later for an additional reading, and returned to the water. This frequent immersion and removal leads to inaccurate readings on conventional thermometers.
Another important fact about floating thermometers is that they are influenced (as is the upper level of the water) by the outside temperature, and therefore provide an inaccurate measurement. That deviation cannot be adjusted, because the outside temperature is constantly changing.
There is also shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,271 a separate bath mat having temperature related indicia. This device indicates dangerous temperature ranges, i.e., above or below pre-determined threshold limits. However, it is limited in that it does not indicate the exact temperature, and it is not visible for monitoring when the water becomes cloudy, as a result of shampoo, soap, bath oil, etc.
In addition, care must be taken that a baby does not become entangled in the thermometer cord or scratch himself on the thermometer housing. Furthermore, these thermometers cannot be seen when soap bubbles are on the water in the tub or when the water is unclear due to a mixture of soap or bath oil in the bath water.
With regard to the current methods available today, and as mentioned before, floating thermometers do not measure accurately, because they are influenced by the outside temperature. Another option, available today, is to use a non-floating thermometer, which is also limited because, when placed in the water, it will sink, and will not permit continuous monitoring.
There are also known heating elements with thermostats in Jacuzzi bathtubs for monitoring and automatically controlling the temperature in the Jacuzzi. These thermostats are complicated, expensive to install and maintain, and include electrical parts.
Accordingly, there is a long felt need for a device for permitting continual monitoring of the water temperature in a bathtub, and it would be very desirable to have such a device which is not free floating in the tub and, therefore, poses no safety hazard in itself. The unique method of the present invention including the safety bathtub, provides an another important characteristic which was not available before: it provides accurate measuring, while allowing continuous monitoring, at the same time.